Wiring board and fabrication method therefor

ABSTRACT

A wiring board includes a wiring sub board having a conductive pattern, a board positioned alongside of the wiring sub board such that the board forms a boundary portion between the board and the wiring sub board, and an insulating layer made of an insulating material and continuously extending from the board to the wiring sub board such that the insulating layer is covering the boundary portion between the board and the wiring sub board. The boundary portion between the board and the wiring sub board is filled with the insulating material of the insulating layer such that the insulating material of the insulating layer is connecting the board and the wiring sub board.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of and claims the benefit ofpriority to U.S. application Ser. No. 12/537,607, filed Aug. 7, 2009,which claims the benefits of priority to Japanese Patent Application No.2008-304665, filed Nov. 28, 2008. The entire contents of theseapplications are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wiring board having an insulatingboard and a plurality of wiring sub boards, and a method of fabricatingthe wiring board.

2. Description of the Related Art

For example, Patent Documents Unexamined Japanese Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2002-289986, Unexamined Japanese Patent ApplicationPublication No. 20 2002-232089, Unexamined Japanese Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2007-115855 and Unexamined Japanese Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2005-322878 describe wiring boards and fabricationmethods therefor. Those wiring boards each have an insulating board andwiring sub boards connected to the insulating board.

The contents of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2002-289986, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2002-232089, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2007-115855 and Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2005-322878 are herein incorporated in their entirety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the first aspect of the invention, a wiring board includes:a wiring sub board having a conductive pattern; an insulating boardbeing laid out alongside of the wiring sub board; and an insulatinglayer having a via hole in which a conductor to be electricallyconnected to the conductive pattern is formed by plating, the insulatinglayer continuously extending from the insulating board to the wiring subboard so as to cover a boundary portion between the insulating board andthe wiring sub board. An insulating material for the insulating layer isfilled in the boundary portion between the insulating board and thewiring sub board.

According to the second aspect of the invention, a fabrication methodfor a wiring board includes: horizontally laying an insulating boardformed of an insulating material and a wiring sub board having a wiringlayer; laying an insulating layer to cover a boundary portion betweenthe insulating board and the wiring sub board; filling an insulatingmaterial for the insulating layer in the boundary portion between theinsulating board and the wiring sub board; forming a via hole in theinsulating layer and forming a conductor in the via hole by plating; andelectrically connecting the conductor formed in the via hole to thewiring layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendantadvantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the outline of a wiring board according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the internal structure of the wiring boardaccording to the embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a wiring sub board constituting thewiring board;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a step of producing the wiring subboard at a production panel;

FIGS. 5A-5C are diagrams for explaining a step of forming a first layerof the wiring sub board;

FIGS. 6A-6C are diagrams for explaining a step of forming a second layerof the wiring sub board;

FIGS. 7A-7B are diagrams for explaining a step of forming a third layerof the wiring sub board;

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a step of fabricating the insulatingboard;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the outline the insulating board;

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a step of laying out the wiring subboard;

FIGS. 11A-11D are diagrams for explaining a step of forming insulatinglayers on both sides of the insulating board and the wiring sub board;

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a step of performing outlineprocessing on the wiring board;

FIG. 13A is a diagram showing another example of the wiring sub board;

FIG. 13B is a diagram showing a different example of the wiring subboard;

FIG. 13C is a diagram showing a further example of the wiring sub board;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a wiring boardhaving a one-side wiring sub board; and

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another example of the wiring board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EMBODIMENT

The embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding oridentical elements throughout the various drawings.

A wiring board 10 according to an embodiment, which has the outline asshown in FIG. 1A and the internal structure as shown in FIG. 1B, forexample, has an insulating board 11 as a frame, and wiring sub boards 12a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d, 12 e and 12 f. The insulating board 11 and thewiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are laid out horizontally through aboundary portion R1, and the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are laid outhorizontally through a boundary portion R2. A sixth insulating layer 313and a fifth insulating layer 311 are formed on the top sides and bottomsides of the insulating board 11 and the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f.FIG. 1B shows the internal structure of the wiring board 10 with thefifth and sixth insulating layers 311 and 313 omitted.

The insulating board 11 is an insulating board made of, for example, aglass epoxy resin or the like. Particularly, as shown in FIGS. 1A and1B, the insulating board 11 is a quadrate frame surrounding the wiringsub boards 12 a to 12 f. The wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are laid outinside the insulating board 11. The shape of the insulating board 11 isoptional. For example, the insulating board 11 may have a circular shapeor an elliptical shape, or may be two thin elongated bars sandwichingthe wiring sub boards aligned in a row.

The wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are rectangular rigid boards. Theshapes of the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are optional, and may be,for example, a parallelepiped shape, a circular shape, an ellipticalshape or so. The wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are not electricallyconnected to one another.

Each of the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f whose cross-sectionalstructures are shown in FIG. 2 is a so-called build-up multi-layerprinted wiring board. That is, each of the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12f has a rigid base 112, first and second insulating layers 111 and 113,and third and fourth insulating layers 114 and 115 laminated.

The rigid base 112 is made of, for example, a rigid insulating material.Specifically, the rigid base 112 is made of a glass epoxy resin or thelike with a thickness of, for example, about 50 to 150 μm, desirablyabout 100 μm.

Formed at top and bottom sides of the rigid base 112 are first to fourthinsulating layers 111, 113 to 115 made of, for example, a hardenedprepreg, wiring layers 122 a, 122 b, 121, 123 to 125 made of, forexample, copper, and via holes (interlayer connected portions) 131, 133to 135. Conductors 141, 143 to 145 of, for example, copper, are filledin the via holes 131, 133 to 135 to electrically connect the individualwiring layers to one another. A through hole 132 is formed in the rigidbase 112. The through hole 132 is formed by, for example, boring a holein the conductor 142 of copper or the like through and plating the holeto electrically connect the wiring layers 122 a and 122 b at the top andbottom of the rigid base 112.

More specifically, the wiring layers 122 b, 122 a are respectivelyformed on the top and bottom sides of the rigid base 112, and areelectrically connected to the overlying respective wiring layers 121,123 through the via holes 131, 133 and the conductors 141, 143. Further,the wiring layers 121, 123 are electrically connected to the overlyingrespective wiring layers 124, 125 through the via holes 134, 135 and theconductors 144, 145.

As shown in FIG. 3 (cross-sectional view along line A-A in FIG. 1A), forexample, the sixth and fifth insulating layers 313, 311 are respectivelyformed on the top and bottom sides of the insulating board 11 and thewiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f. The fifth and sixth insulating layers311, 313 are laid out to cover the boundary portion R1 between theinsulating board 11 and the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f, and theboundary portion R2 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) between the wiring sub boards12 a to 12 f. The fifth and sixth insulating layers 311 and 313continuously extend from the insulating board 11 to the wiring subboards 12 a to 12 f.

Via holes 331, 333 are formed in the fifth and sixth insulating layers311, 313, respectively. Conductors 341, 343 of copper, for example, areformed in the via holes 331, 333. The conductors 341, 343 areelectrically connected to the wiring layers 124, 125 of the wiring subboards 12 a to 12 f, respectively. The wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 fare not electrically connected to one another.

The fifth and sixth insulating layers 311 and 313 are formed of a rigidinsulating material, such as a hardened prepreg. It is desirable thatthe prepregs of the first to sixth insulating layers 111, 113 to 115,311, 313 should contain a resin having the low-flow property. Suchprepregs can be produced by performing pre-hardening beforehand by, forexample, impregnating a glass cloth with an epoxy resin, then thermallyhardening the resin. The glass cloth may be impregnated with a highviscosity resin, or impregnated with a resin containing an inorganicfiller (e.g., silica filler), or the resin contain of the glass clothmay be decreased. An RCF (Resin Coated copper Foil) or the like may beused in place of the prepreg.

Insulating resins 21 a to 21 c (insulating materials) leaked out (flowedout) from the fifth and sixth insulating layers 311 and 313 are filledbetween the insulating board 11 and the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f,and between the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f. Accordingly, the wiringsub boards 12 a to 12 f are secured at predetermined positions. Thistherefore requires no bridges or the like to couple the insulating board11 to the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f. The use of the resins 21 a to21 c leaked from the fifth and sixth insulating layers 311 and 313 alsoeliminates the need for an adhesive or the like.

In fabricating the wiring board 10, first, the wiring sub boards 12 a to12 f are produced at a production panel 100 as shown in FIG. 4, forexample. The production panel 100 is a dedicated production panel atwhich wiring sub boards having the same structure (structure shown inFIG. 2) including the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are produced.

The wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are produced separately from theinsulating board 11 according to the fabrication method of theembodiment. This makes it possible to produce a larger number of wiringsub boards 12 a to 12 f at the production panel 100, thus improving theyield or the number of yielded products.

In producing the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f, first, a materialcommon to a plurality of products is cut with, for example, a laser orthe like to prepare the rigid base 112 with a predetermined shape andsize as shown in FIG. 5A.

Then, after predetermined pre-processing, for example, the through hole132 is formed as shown in FIG. 5B by irradiating, for example, a CO₂laser beam from a CO₂ laser processing apparatus.

Subsequently, after desmearing (smear removal) and soft etching arecarried out, PN plating (e.g., chemical copper plating and electriccopper plating) is performed. As a result, a conductive film is formedon the entire surface of the rigid base 112 including the interior ofthe through hole 132. Then, the conductive film is made thinner to apredetermined thickness by, for example, half etching, the conductivefilm is patterned as shown in FIG. 5C through, for example, apredetermined lithography process (pre-processing, lamination, exposure,development, etching, film separation, inspection of internal layers,etc.). As a result, the wiring layers 122 a and 122 b and the conductor142 are formed.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6A, for example, the second insulatinglayer 113 and the first insulating layer 111 are disposed on the top andbottom sides of the wiring board. Then, they are pressed (e.g.,hot-pressed). Thereafter, the resin is hardened in, for example, a heattreatment or the like, to solidify the first and second insulatinglayers 111 and 113. Then, after predetermined pre-processing, as shownin FIG. 6B, the via hole 131 is formed in the first insulating layer 111and the via hole 133 is formed in the second insulating layer 113 with alaser, for example. Then, after desmearing (smear removal) and softetching are carried out, PN plating (e.g., chemical copper plating andelectric copper plating) is performed. As a result, a conductive film isformed on the entire surface of the wiring board including the via holes131 and 133. Then, the conductive film on the surface of the wiringboard is made thinner to a predetermined thickness by, for example, halfetching, the conductive film is patterned as shown in FIG. 6C through,for example, a predetermined lithography process (pre-processing,lamination, exposure, development, etching, film separation, inspectionof internal layers, etc.). As a result, the conductors 141 and 143, andthe wiring layers 121 and 123 are formed. Thereafter, the top surfacesof the wiring layers 121 and 123 are processed to form rough surfaces.The wiring layers 121 and 123 can also be formed by printing aconductive paste (e.g., thermoset resin containing conductive particles)by, for example, screen printing.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7A, for example, the fourth insulatinglayer 115 and the third insulating layer 114 are disposed on the top andbottom sides of the wiring board. Then, they are pressed (e.g.,hot-pressed). Thereafter, the resin is hardened in, for example, a heattreatment or the like, to solidify the third and fourth insulatinglayers 114 and 115. Then, after predetermined pre-processing, as shownin FIG. 7B, the via hole 134 is formed in the third insulating layer 114and the via hole 135 is formed in the fourth insulating layer 115 with alaser, for example. Further, through steps similar to those shown inFIG. 6C, the conductors 144 and 145, and the wiring layers 124 and 125as shown in FIG. 2 are formed. As a result, the wiring sub boards 12 ato 12 f are produced at the production panel 100 as shown in FIG. 4.

Before or after producing the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f, theinsulating board 11 is produced. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, amaterial (production panel 200) common to a plurality of products is cutwith, for example, a laser or the like to produce the insulating board11 with a predetermined shape and size. Accordingly, a quadrate frameshown in FIG. 9 as the insulating board 11 is obtained. As theinsulating board 11 is produced separately from the wiring sub boards 12a to 12 f, an unnecessary laminate is not formed on the insulating board11. This reduces the consumption of the conductive materials, insulatingmaterials and so forth. This results in reduction in fabrication cost.

Next, the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are respectively separated fromthe production panel 100, and are laid out inside the insulating board11 as shown in FIG. 10. Before separation of the wiring sub boards 12 ato 12 f from the production panel 100, an electrification test or thelike is performed on the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f. This allows anydefective board to be removed so that defect-free boards are used. Thatis, defect-free boards are laid out inside the insulating board 11.

According to the fabrication method of the embodiment, a defective boardcan be found and removed before forming the outermost layer, i.e., at anearlier stage. It is therefore possible to reduce the consumption ofmaterials which would occur in case of defective boards present. Thisresults in reduction in fabrication cost.

The positional alignment of the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f beforeforming the outermost layer can easily achieve high-precision alignment.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11A, for example, the sixth and fifthinsulating layers 313, 311 are disposed on the top and bottom sides ofthe wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f (only 12 a and 12 b shown in FIGS.11A to 11D) and the insulating board 11. Then, they are pressed (e.g.,hot-pressed) as shown in FIG. 11B. Accordingly, the resins 21 a to 21 care extruded from the fifth and sixth insulating layers 311 and 313.That is, the pressing causes the resins 21 a to 21 c to leak out (flowout) from the prepregs constituting the fifth and sixth insulatinglayers 311 and 313 to be filled in the boundary portion R1 between theinsulating board 11 and the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f, and theboundary portion R2 between the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f. As thesixth and fifth insulating layers 313, 311 are formed on the top andbottom sides of the insulating board 11 and the wiring sub boards 12 ato 12 f at this time, the resins 21 a to 21 c are filled from bothsides. Thereafter, the fifth and sixth insulating layers 311 and 313 aresolidified by hardening the resins through, for example, a heattreatment or the like.

Subsequently, after predetermined pre-processing, as shown in FIG. 11C,the via hole 331 is formed in the fifth insulating layer 311, and thevia hole 333 is formed in the sixth insulating layer 313 with, forexample, a laser. Then, after desmearing (smear removal) and softetching are carried out, PN plating (e.g., chemical copper plating andelectric copper plating) is performed. As a result, a conductive film isformed on the entire surface of the wiring board including the via holes331 and 333. Subsequently, the conductive film on the surface of thewiring board is made thinner to a predetermined thickness by, forexample, half etching, the conductive film is patterned as shown in FIG.11D through, for example, a predetermined lithography process(pre-processing, lamination, exposure, development, etching, filmseparation, inspection of internal layers, etc.). As a result, theconductors 341 and 343, and the wiring layers 321 and 323 are formed.

Thereafter, outline processing of the wiring board is performed as shownin, for example, FIG. 12, using a router, for example. In the outlineprocessing, the wiring board is processed to a predetermined shape(e.g., quadrate shape) like a cut line L1 in the diagram within thewidthwise range of the frame of the insulating board 11.

The wiring board 10 shown in FIG. 3 is fabricated this way. That is, thefifth and sixth insulating layers 311 and 313, and the wiring layers 321and 323 in the wiring board 10 become the outermost layers.

While the wiring board and fabrication method according to theembodiment have been described, the present invention is not limited tothe embodiment.

The wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are not electrically connected to oneanother in the embodiment, which is not restrictive. For example, thewiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f may be electrically connected to oneanother according to the purpose or the like.

The wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f are not limited to those shown inFIG. 2. For example, the boards may be flexible printed wiring boards.Further, the wiring sub board may be a flex-rigid printed wiring board101 having a flexible part 101 a and rigid parts 101 b and 101 c asshown in FIG. 13A. Furthermore, the wiring sub board may be a printedwiring board 102 incorporating an electronic part 102 a as shown in FIG.13B, for example. As another option, the wiring sub board may be aprinted wiring board 103 having a cavity 103 a formed in the top surfacethereof as shown in FIG. 13C. The wiring sub board may be a one-sideprinted wiring board 104 a, 104 b having wiring layers and insulatinglayers laminated only on one side of the core, as shown in FIG. 14(cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3).

The materials and sizes of the individual layers, the number of thelayers, and so forth may be changed in the embodiment.

For example, single-layer insulating layers, i.e., the sixth and fifthinsulating layers 313, 311 are formed on the top and bottom sides of theinsulating board 11 and the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f in theembodiment, which is not restrictive. For example, as shown in FIG. 15,multiple insulating layers of different materials, i.e., the sixth andeight insulating layers 313 and 315, and the fifth and seventhinsulating layers 311 and 314 may be formed on the top and bottom sidesof the insulating board 11 and the wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 f.

Although the wiring board 10 having six wiring sub boards 12 a to 12 fis exemplified in the foregoing description of the embodiment, thenumber of wiring sub boards is optional. That is, the quantity may beone, two to five, or seven or greater.

The sequential order of the processes in the embodiment may be changedwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Someprocesses may be omitted according to the purpose or the like.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is thereforeto be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wiring board comprising: a wiring sub boardhaving a conductive pattern; a board positioned alongside of the wiringsub board such that the board forms a boundary portion between the boardand the wiring sub board; and an insulating layer comprising aninsulating material and continuously extending from the board to thewiring sub board such that the insulating layer is covering the boundaryportion between the board and the wiring sub board, wherein the boundaryportion between the board and the wiring sub board is filled with theinsulating material of the insulating layer such that the insulatingmaterial of the insulating layer is connecting the board and the wiringsub board.
 2. The wiring board according to claim 1, wherein theinsulating material of the insulating layer comprises a resin, and theinsulating material filling the boundary portion is the resin derivedfrom the insulating layer.
 3. The wiring board according to claim 1,further comprising: a second insulating layer comprising an insulatingmaterial and continuously extending from the board to the wiring subboard such that the second insulating layer is covering the boundaryportion between the board and the wiring sub board and connecting theboard and the wiring sub board from an opposite side of the board andthe wiring sub board with respect to the insulating layer, wherein theinsulating layer is formed on one side of the board and the wiring subboard, the second insulating layer is formed on the opposite side of theboard and the wiring sub board, and the boundary portion between theboard and the wiring sub board is filled with the insulating materialsof the insulating layer and the second insulating layer such that theinsulating materials of the insulating layer and the second insulatinglayer are connecting the board and the wiring sub board.
 4. The wiringboard according to claim 1, wherein the wiring sub board is provided ina plurality, and the board is positioned alongside of the plurality ofwiring sub boards such that the board forms a boundary portion betweenthe board and the wiring sub boards.
 5. The wiring board according toclaim 4, wherein the wiring sub boards are not electrically connected toone another.
 6. The wiring board according to claim 1, wherein theinsulating layer comprises a plurality of insulating materials.
 7. Thewiring board according to claim 4, wherein the board forms a frameconfigured to surround the wiring sub boards.
 8. The wiring boardaccording to claim 4, wherein the board comprises a plurality ofelongated bars configured to sandwich the wiring sub boards aligned in arow.
 9. The wiring board according to claim 4, wherein the board is aninsulating board forming a frame configured to surround the wiring subboards.
 10. The wiring board according to claim 4, wherein the board isan insulating board comprising a plurality of elongated bars configuredto sandwich the wiring sub boards aligned in a row.
 11. The wiring boardaccording to claim 4, further comprising: a second insulating layercomprising an insulating material and continuously extending from theboard to the wiring sub boards such that the second insulating layer iscovering the boundary portion between the board and the wiring subboards and connecting the board and the wiring sub boards from anopposite side of the board and the wiring sub board with respect to theinsulating layer, wherein the insulating layer is formed on one side ofthe board and the wiring sub boards, the second insulating layer isformed on the opposite side of the board and the wiring sub boards, andthe boundary portion between the board and the wiring sub boards isfilled with the insulating materials of the insulating layer and thesecond insulating layer such that the insulating materials of theinsulating layer and the second insulating layer are connecting theboard and the wiring sub boards.
 12. The wiring board according to claim3, wherein the insulating material of the insulating layer comprises aresin, the insulating material of the second insulating layer comprisesa resin, and the insulating materials filling the boundary portion isthe resins derived from the insulating layer and the second insulatinglayer.
 13. The wiring board according to claim 11, wherein the boardforms a frame configured to surround the wiring sub boards.
 14. Thewiring board according to claim 11, wherein the board comprises aplurality of elongated bars configured to sandwich the wiring sub boardsaligned in a row.
 15. The wiring board according to claim 5, wherein theinsulating layer comprises a plurality of insulating materials.
 16. Amethod for fabricating a wiring board, comprising: horizontallypositioning a board alongside of a wiring sub board having a wiringlayer such that the board forms a boundary portion between the board andthe wiring sub board; laying an insulating layer comprising aninsulating material such that the insulating layer is continuouslyextending from the board to the wiring sub board and covering theboundary portion between the board and the wiring sub board; filling theinsulating material of the insulating layer in the boundary portionbetween the board and the wiring sub board such that the insulatingmaterial of the insulating layer connects the board and the wiring subboard.
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprisingconducting outline processing on a structure comprising the board andthe wiring sub board connected by the insulating layer.
 18. The methodaccording to claim 16, wherein the insulating material of the insulatinglayer comprises a resin, and the insulating layer is pressed onto theboard and the wiring sub board such that the resin is extruded from theinsulating layer and fills the boundary portion between the board andthe wiring sub board.
 19. The method according to claim 16, furthercomprising: producing the board from a production panel; and producingthe wiring sub board from another production panel separate from theproduction panel of the board.
 20. The method according to claim 17,wherein the outline processing is router processing.